The Smiley Smile Message Board

Have any of the Beatles ever commented on Dennis' music? If so, what do/did they say?

Are you kidding?

"I fancy the drummer." - Brian Epstein.

if only to be as handsome as that bloke from the beach boys...cheers..... :drumroll

I remember reading somewhere that John Lennon once snubbed Dennis somewhere or was somehow rude or dismissive and it depressed Dennis because he really would have liked to be appreciated for something other than his looks (poor baby)

Anyone know what I'm talking about?

May Pang, who was with John at the time, has disputed that, she said John was happy to meet Dennis. Howie Edelson can tell you the story because he interviewed May recently...Howie?

It's hard to imagine John Lennon not liking Dennis Wilson, actually, but musically and personally. Obviously this is only me guessing, but I think John would enjoy and respect Dennis's raw emotional approach to both rockers and ballads, as well as his occasional silliness. And as for their personal lives, well, Dennis would have fit right in during the Lost Weekend, no?

Good to hear!

I wish I could remember where I read/heard that!!

Dennis and Karen clearly had a good time chatting with Paul and Linda at Brian's 34th birthday party.  And I'm pretty sure Dennis can be seen arriving at Wings' L.A. show in the TV special that resulted from that big '76 "Wings Over America" tour. 

Thanks for the info so far. I definately would be suprised if John didn't respect Dennis' music, or any of the Beatles for that matter. Although, I have read or heard hardly anything regarding this. In fact, I don't recall Dennis saying much about the Beatles either.

Its really easy to find quotes of John slagging off Mick Jagger or Bob Dylan or even Elvis... but I can't think of one quote where he slagged off the Beach Boys as a group or Brian as a person. I assume that extended to Dennis as well. I think John had a tremendous respect for them. (although correct me if I am wrong, but the line from Bungalo Bill about the "all American Bullet-headed saxon mother's son" was inspired by Mike Love. Who I guess took a break from peaceful meditation to go kill some animals somewhere in Rishikesh).

I actually think is was in Heroes And Villians where I read that about John/Dennis!

No, that was not Mike Love.

Me neither, but he did sing "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away" on Party. Was that Brian's choice?

On one of the boots where they do it live Dennis says "it's a good song"... so no idea if it was Brian's choice or not, so I'm assuming Dennis liked it

I've read that Dennis once met John 'round the clubs' and the former Beatle didn't recognize him. Well, if your visual reference is Dennis circa '65, and you only meet him ten years later, I can't blame John.

Who was he referencing?

It's some wealthy american that was also at the retreat with them. He took a break from mediating to go hunting. Can't remember his name though, sorry.

It's some wealthy american that was also at the retreat with them. He took a break from mediating to go hunting. Can't remember his name though, sorry.


from wikipedia:

Lennon later told his version of the story in a Playboy interview, stating that: "[Bungalow Bill] was written about a guy in Maharishi's meditation camp who took a short break to go shoot a few poor tigers, and then came back to commune with God. There used to be a character called Jungle Jim, and I combined him with Buffalo Bill. It's sort of a teenage social-comment song and a bit of a joke."[2] Mia Farrow, who was also at the ashram during the period supports Lennon's story in her autobiography; she writes, "Then a self-important, middle-aged American woman arrived, moving a mountain of luggage into the brand-new private bungalow next to Maharishi's along with her son, a bland young man named Bill. People fled this newcomer, and no one was sorry when she left the ashram after a short time to go tiger hunting, unaware that their presence had inspired a new Beatles' song - 'Bungalow Bill.'"[

The story I read of the Lennon/D. Wilson meeting(somewhere...maybe here?) was that they met in the late sixties at a restaurant. Dennis introduced himself and John Lennon made a joke about a commercial for a company called Wilson that was airing a lot in LA and that he had seen. Dennis got offended or hurt or something and walked off.

Later, in the seventies, probably with May Peng, they met again and Lennon told Dennis that he had only been joking at the first meeting--but Dennis had no memory of the first meeting whatsoever.

God, I thought this was going to be a Hoffman style thread - Dennis needs the holy benediction of the Beatles before his music can be considered good.   :o

When The Beatles first came on the scene, Dennis was reportedly skeptical of them (like they were just a hype, and they were going to ruin music...kind of what Brian initially thought of Dylan).  He warmed up to them later...I remember a mid-sixites interview ('65?) where the Boys were asked what they thought of the "newer" crop of British Invasion acts like the Stones, and Dennis replied "For me, there's only one English group, and that's The Beatles".  He apparently warmed up to the Stones later, as well:  Carol Ann Harris recounts a great story of cruising along the PCH with Dennis, en route to a Beach Boys gig, with "Midnight Rambler" blasting on his car stereo.

Yeah, that's close. I thought both meetings took place in the 70s when Lennon was living in L.A. with May Pang (which is why she recounts the story), but I could be wrong. One of the encounters happened at the Troubabour, I think. Lennon's comment upon first meeting Wilson was along the lines of "I've always liked your coats" ostensibly referring to an L.A. clothing store named "House of Wilson" (although a quick internet search reveals that the royal "House of Wilson" had a popular "coat of arms" which could have been what Lennon was referring to - can any of the British fans comment?); Wilson was mystified and thought he was being snubbed. Lennon felt guilty enough about possibly offending Wilson that he apologized for the joke the next time they met, but Wilson had no recollection of it at all.

I think they were right. Personally, I don't think the early Beatles music is that good.

I find it odd that the Beach Boys and Beatles didn't become good friends (except for Brian and Paul). Didn't the Beatles move to LA in the mid 60s?

The Lennon story essentially was that May informed John that Dennis was approaching them at a restaurant (late '73/early '74) and hipped him to the fact that it was Dennis. Lennon immediately got up, extended his hand and said "Dennis, I love your music." According to her, Dennis was beside himself. It was was Jesse Ed Davis that made the crack about the "House of Suede."

An even cooler recollection of May's is during Ricci Martin's 21st when an obese and loaded Brian was making a beeline towards them, with her whispering in Lennon's ear, "Brian Wilson -- Dennis Wilson's brother from the Beach Boys -- is walking towards you." Lennon turns and looks and asks, shocked, "HIM???"

Brian saunters up and utters the immortal line, "Hey man, got any reds?"

Lennon apologises at not being able to help him out and two ships pass in the night.

No.

Well, maybe they should have...:P

Actually George Harrison was trying to get the Beatles to move out to San Francisco. But after he went out there himself and saw that it was a looney bin he quickly changed his mind.

It should be noted that these were probably not the only meetings-for example when the BBs played the Paris show in Dec 1967 and met the Maharishi-George and John were there too-Dennis must have met John at least briefly that night

Hey!!

-from Berkeley ;)

Now that you mention it, I read somewhere that George Harrison was a big fan of the BBs music in the late 60s

Another thing, George's wife was from Hawthorne and he reportedly was very interested in knowing about the Beach Boys. At least that's what I did read

38 years is a long time ago, but about george being at the good vibrations from central park 1971 show....wasn't he trying to get the group to sign with apple? i seem to remember that being so..but i may be wrong. i just have a foggy memory about that.
and if that is so, again not positive about that, then that would speak volumes about what they thought of the beach boys' music at that time.

That's the rather overwhelming group of Beach Boys fans who really like the Beatles more trying to find ways to justify their fandom. Hence my "nice" reply in the beginning of the thread.

For me I'm more impressed that the Beach Boys liked the Beatles. I'm a fan of both, but if I had to chose it's the Beach Boys all the way.

I did choose, and it has been the Beach Boys all...the...way.